Grandmothers, we’ve all had them, and some of us are still lucky enough to have them in our lives. My Scottish grandmother is going for an operation tomorrow, so this week we’ve been cooking some real homely dishes, due partly to the onset of winter, but mainly as I think back to all the things we used to eat as kids around her dining table. Mince and potatoes with buttered carrots… Roast chicken with all the trimmings… Stew with dumplings… There is one thing that stood out however – her chicken soup. I remember eating bowl after bowl of that soup – I was a growing boy mind! Over the years I begged for the recipe, but never quite managed to squeeze it out of her. So, this is my attempt to recreate it. There are no recipes – it’s a little bit of guesswork, so give it a go and see what happens.
As with all soups, there is the stock, then the soupy bit. So I’ll start at the beginning…
For the stock, you’ll need a chicken carcass and a load of vegetables. Strip off the leftover meat from the chicken and set aside until later. In a large pot, drop in the chicken bones and cover with cold water. Drop in a few peppercorns, a bay leaf (I get deliveries from the Bay tree in our Glasgow garden – thanks mum!), some roughly chopped onions, carrots, celery and anything that is in the fridge needing to be used. Bring the water to the boil then leave to simmer for a while (at least an hour). I say a while as the intensity of the stock depends on how much you reduce it. While it simmers, oils and froth from the bones will float to surface; skim this off and throw away as it gives a nasty aftertaste to your stock. When you’re happy with the chickeny-ness of the stock, drain and keep to the side.
For the base of the soup, fry some finely chopped celery, carrot, onions and garlic until the onion is soft. Deglaze the pan with a dribble of white wine, sherry or vermouth, then throw in a handful of rice. Next roughly chop the remaining chicken bits and add to the pot, adding the stock at the same time. Leave it to simmer for 20 mins, checking the seasoning as you go. If needed, help it along with a chicken stock cube. Throw in some chopped parsley at the last moment before serving with some crusty buttered bread. and make sure you’ve got enough for 4ths – if they’re anything like me, they will keep coming back.
Sorry for the lack of pictures. I’ll make it up to you.
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